Learning Objective Three

Students will display the ability to formulate effective thesis statements using Thesis Builder, measuring at least proficient on the provided rubric.

Activity and Assessment

Students will read "The Thesis" and then review the thesis statements/arguments they have been discussing about class readings/texts. The thesishandout (available below), which takes students step-by-step through working toward an effective thesis will also be given.

​Students will then be prompted to visit the Thesis Builder tool to work on their own thesis statements before uploading them for comments from peers and coaching from the instructor.

​Assessment Tool: Thesis Builder

Thesis builder is a great tool for helping students organize their thoughts during a task that can be incredibly daunting for them. By answering questions provided about their topic, the tool helps to walk them through the ways in which they can build a strong thesis statement for their essays. The more students use this tool, the more comfortable they become with the process.

Plagiarism and Learning Styles

By helping students walk through the process of building a thesis for their essays, there is a much stronger chance that the work they turn in will be theirs. According to the Council of Writing Program Administrators (2003), one way to deter plagiarism is by "Engaging students in the process of writing, which produces materials such as notes, drafts, and revisions that are difficult to plagiarize." Rather than assigning the essay and then having it due, coaching the students through each step avoids their downloading papers from the internet or cutting and pasting information they have found.